Violet Dawn: Blood Debt
Edward Smith and Violet Dawn Wicked: Fall of Bigsby Manor / Wicked - The Beginning / A Girl and Her Shadow / Wicked / Violet Dawn: Blood Debt / Wicked II / Violet Dawn: Unforgivable Sin / Wicked III / Violet Dawn: Death's Embrace I: Violet Dawn was a peculiar girl among the residents of the Bigsby Manor, and even the fact that she was adopted did little to explain the remarkable differences. For one thing, she was decidedly more morbid than the rest in spite of her youth. She did not know her birthday, or even her own age, though she appeared to be no more than ten. Her pale skin was almost ghostly in appearance, and her red eyes were unsettling to those unaccustomed to them. She also happened to be a vampire. The evening sunset had finally surrendered to the oncoming night when Violet sat on the edge of her bed, behind a closed door. She wore a lilac nightgown with the back cut open, allowing for her to stretch her small, bat-like wings. Her eyes stared intently at a circle of hastily scrawled chalk runes she had just finished sketching on the floor. She took a moment to observe each symbol, ensuring that they all had been drawn properly. They were, but just before she could get up, she stopped; this ritual always dredged up unpleasant memories. She remained sitting, immobilized by her own thoughts. Edward suddenly entered the room, holding a broken V-Game in one hand as he began "..Violet, did you go through my games again? I thought I said not to.." - he stopped and went silent as he observed what was going on. Edward's arrival seemed to rouse her from her trance-like thoughts. "H-hey Edward," she said. "Er, yes, I did- I'm sorry, I was trying to figure out how it worked, and I thought if I hit it against something- um, what are you staring at?" "That.." Edward replied, motioning to the circle "..you said you were a vampire, never said you were a witch.. ". "Witch?" asked Violet, looking slightly hurt. "I'm not a witch... I just have to do a little magic to stay alive, that's all..." "You know I didn't mean it in a bad way.. it's just.. haven't you heard about all the bad stuff on the news? people who are using magic are getting hurt.. anyway: what is this for?" Edward said, coming over. "It turns water to blood," explained Violet, pushing herself from her bed. She took a glass of water sitting atop her dresser and placed it in the center of the circle. "It's not as, well, fulfilling as actual living blood, but it'll keep me alive." "That's gross.." Edward replies, betraying his age - though he looks to Violet with a bit of concern "..why not just try some animal blood? ..they have this thing called blood pudding.. hard to get here but I'm sure uncle can get some from his friends.. it's made out of blood.. popular in England, I think..". "And humans ''eat it?" asked Violet. "I didn't know you ate blood too- hold on, stand back." She knelt down and placed her hands upon one of the runes. The circle began to glow with eldritch light, and magic power surged from the circumference toward the center, converging upon the glass of water. A spark of energy; the water turned a murky red. Violet slumped forward on the floor, looking slightly fatigued. "...I hate magic," she said. Edward watched this with wide-eyes then shook his head a little to try and remove his shock "..aren't you afraid this will cause something really bad to happen? ..I know you need blood but this is.. creepy..". "Relax, I'm not summoning hellspawn or anything," said Violet, pulling herself up onto her knees. She picked up the glass of blood and took small sips, grimacing slightly. "Ugh... tastes stale. You know, that blood pudding idea might be something to consider. Even animal blood tastes better than this." Edward sits down after a moment on the floor "..uncle might be able to find some if you ask.. better not tell them about your magic.. or at least not the turning stuff into blood..". "I won't," said Violet, taking a damp rag she had prepared and wiping the chalk circle off the floor. "I didn't tell you after all, right? Don't want to look any freakier than I already am..." There was a note of bitterness in her voice. Edward frowns a bit, then thinks "..well.. now wha-" He was interrupted by a brilliant flash of light that illuminated the room. An oval portal opened up from the wall, from which a hooded figure emerged, his face obscured in shadow and carrying with him a gnarled staff. A woman followed, donning emerald green robes cut low enough to reveal a crimson emblem over her chest, shaped like a half-circle with a curved line cut through it. Violet screamed, backing away frantically, untli she was in a corner. The two figures approached her. "Little Violet," said the woman, grinning like a wolf. "You've grown." Edward stumbles up and heads for the door instinctively to open it and alert the rest of the house, heart racing. The hooded male tapped his staff on the floor; before Edward could reach the door handle, black thorny vines grew rapidly over the walls of the room, blocking any escape. "How did-" began Violet, terrified and lost for words. "How did-" "Abbadon," said the hooded man. "A vision. A shadow, reaching across the void. Seeking to be found." Edward looks around, then thinks "Violet! remember the old man.. he said you would be safe here.." - then it struck him, the words ringing in his head : ''"A life can not belong to anyone - however your "Abbadon" will have his say.. as shall she.." - ''The Truth had sworn to protect her from Poppy, yet this was something else entirely, something even The Truth seems to have foretold. "Wh-what do you want with me?" asked Violet. "Why ask questions you know the answer too, little Violet?" replied the woman, running her long fingernails through Violet's hair in mock tenderness. "You've managed to evade us for a good two years. We missed you, dear Violet." "Take her," said the hooded man. "Abbadon awaits our return." "Wait- what about the boy?" asked the woman, pointing to Edward. The hooded man turned to regard Edward for a moment. "He is irrelevant," he said. Reaching out with his arms, he re-opened the portal they had entered from, and turned to leave. In a dark dimension both linked to the events of the Manor yet locked out by divine forces a strange creature sits in darkness, an eternal smile spread over its fuzzy face as tiny hands paw at a wall as it speaks to itself: ''<<..yes.. take her away.. Edward's Poppy's friend.. get rid of her.. then Poppy can make Edward happy.. no little bloodsucker to keep Poppy away..>> Yet in the room, unaware of the events so far away, Edward finds a moment of courage as he enters the portal in pursuit of his sister. II: As Edward exited the portal, he found himself in a dark wood. Moonlight, barely visible, was choked by the shadows of gnarled trees. As the portal vanished into thin air behind him, Edward was suddenly confronted by the hooded figure. Violet, bound and gagged by bindings that appeared to be made from solid shadow, was restrained by the woman. "Predictable," scoffed the woman. "If you are so eager to join Violet, I am sure Abbadon will find use for you." "Be silent, Isis," said the hooded man. He stooped down to Edward's level, and Edward could clearly see his gaunt face under the hood. His skin was pale, with dark cracks running through like black veins. His eyes were the worst: two hollow sockets from which black orbs stared out, piercing deep into Edward's being. "Tell me, child," said the man. "Why did you follow us?" "V-Violet.. she's my sister.. s-so.. I'm staying with her.." Edward replies, confronting his own fears as he stares right back into those black orbs. "Your sister..." said the man. "It is... interesting that you would say that... for Violet no longer has any siblings." Violet's eyes widened in fear. She shook her head and tried to pull free of her bindings. "Quit squirming, you little brat," hissed Isis, restraining her, "or I'll break both of your legs." "Isis," warned the cloaked man. "What?" asked Isis. "There's no damage we can do that Abbadon can't fix." "God gave her a chance.. you want to try and mess with him?.." Edward replied, not exactly a religious sort but in the memories of a child there wasn't really another explaination to what occured that night Violet was "adopted" into his family : suddenly taking his fear and pushing it aside as he gives a look at the creatures before him that is roughly that of a boy trying to intimidate, complete with hands clutched into fists. Isis chuckled. "Look at him, trying to be tough... it's so... pathetically adorable." "The gods of Earth have no bearing here," said the cloaked man, "nor do the gods of Empyrea. For what have they done to stop us as their world burns? No... only Abbadon, our great patron and father, has any power here." He stood back up, regarding Edward with silence for a moment. "If you truly believe Violet is a sister, than you may accompany her to the Table of Abbadon. Or you may wander these woods until you starve, for all I care." "So? you think you're tough trying to scare kids? maybe that's 'cause you're scared of a good fight.." Edward replied to Isis, he then looked to the other figure and replied "..let's go..". "My dear boy," said Isis, leaning forward and grabbing Edward by the chin, forcing him to look up at her. "I am not afraid to spill a child's blood." "Be silent," said the cloaked man, looking up to the sky. "Abbadon wishes to speak with us." A breeze began to pick up in the formerly still woods. It quickly grew into a powerful tempest that whirled around them, seeming to carry strange whispers, alien and undiscernable. The cloaked man convulsed slightly, gripping his staff for support. Then, in an instant, the wind was gone. The man stood to his full height, his eyes now gleaming with white light. He spoke, in an entirely new voice: "Do not harm the boy, Isis. He will keep Violet bound more securely than any chain." Isis knelt. "Yes, Lord Abbadon." He turned to Edward. "I suppose I must thank you and your family for taking good care of Violet Dawn during her absence. I have found use for you. Tonight, a glorious future will begin, and you will be a part of it." Edward looked to the man and began to revert slightly "..w-what future?" - his mind strays to images he'd seen on the television, the talk of "angry gods" and "sinners" : he was odd for his age but not invulnerable to influences, at that moment all those dark images and thoughts swirled in his head as a horrible thought came into his young mind, one he felt ashamed of as he glanced at Violet - what if the preacher on the television was right? what if all this was punishment.. because of her.. "A future where the gods fall, and mortals become truly free," said Abbadon. "A future where the world is baptized in flames, and reborn anew. A future where Empyrea ascends into a new age under my watchful eyes." Edward simply goes quiet and looks to the ground, "..s-so.. what do I do?" "On the morrow's night, you will join Violet at my Table," said Abbadon, "and you will recieve my gift of ascension. Wolfe, I entrust their protection to you." The hooded man bowed slightly, his voice returning to normal. "As you wish, my lord." "I will send word to the other four," said Abbadon's voice, returning. "When tomorrow's moon is at it's apex, we shall hold our Vigil." The wind picked up once more, swirling around them, then vanishing. Wolfe convulsed slightly, then straightened back up as the presence left his body. "You are lucky, boy," said Isis, a hint of venom in her voice. "Not many are so easily favored by our Master." Edward replied in the manner of many children trying to hide their fear, "I'm not scared of you..". Isis narrowed her eyes at Edward, then turned to Wolfe. "What does Abbadon want with a scared little brat like him anyway?" "Abbadon has told you what he wishes for you to know," said Wolfe. "Is his word not good enough for you?" "No!" interjected Isis quickly. "I mean- I am, and always will be, Abbadon's faithful." "But surely you must wonder, what would Abbadon want with a scared little worm such as yourself?" he echoed, a hint of mocking in his monotone. Isis' glare was intense enough to melt steel. "I am truly blessed," she said through grit teeth, "to have been chosen by Abbadon to serve his purpose, no matter how great or small my role may be." Edward just kept silent and took to staring at the ground. Category:Deathwalker 13000 Category:Storyarcs Category:Fantasy Category:Supernatural Category:Grimdark